Wake The Lion Within
by Cori-Ackles
Summary: "Terminal City. Refuge for the abnormal, the freaks, the mutants. Refuge for people like me" Jeans runs to Terminal City seeking refuge and is welcomed by fellow mutants. What will she and her new friend Alec do when her past threatens her new life? A/OC
1. Chapter 1

**_AN: Okay, so this is my first non oneshot for Dark Angel. I've been sitting on this story for a while, and finally decided to try and post it. This is-obviously-the first chapter (and sort of a intro) so let me know if you like it and if I should continue with it. _**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel, unfortunately. If I did, well, there would be a season three in which Alec and Max get it on. Sadly, this is not a reality, so I decided to toy with the characters we all love and know so well! Please enjoy and tell me what you think!_**

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Terminal City. Refuge for the abnormal, the _freaks_, the mutants. Refuge against the "ordinaries" or regular folk. From their prejudices and hate. Refuge for people like me.

Led by the infamous transgenic Max Guavera, formerly known as soldier X5-452, Terminal City thrived. It became known throughout all of the United States as a sanctuary for transgenics. I learned of it myself whilst hiding out from the Anti-Mutant protesters in North Carolina. Once I heard the rumors, I immediately set course for this haven in the midst of Seattle's ruins.

When I arrived, I was greeted warmly by all the other transgenics that I had once feared. So called "anomalies" were nearly kinder than the others of the human-like X-series, and even a few of the X-series whom I had known and feared during my years in Manticore were there, happily accepting all the transgenics they had once tormented. It was strange, to say the least.

Now, there is something I must say. I am different from the others, I'd known it all my life. I had never been forced through all the rigorous physical training they had. Sure, I had taken several fighting classes, but the officials at Manticore had always kept me separate from the others. I never knew _exactly_ why I was so special to Manticore, and more specifically Lydecker, but it was clear. While others in my unit practiced hand to hand combat, I was studying battle tactics, statistics and histories. I wasn't a weapon to them... I was a computer made to process information.

The day I arrived, terrified, at Terminal City was a turnaround for me. No more running from who..._what_ I was. I wouldn't have to fight my own battles, now I was part of a team.

The wind hammered into me as I ran, my figure blurring ever so slightly with the speed. Most transgenics could blur their figure with no problem, but not me. Sweat rolled off my forehead, my chest heaving as I fought for breath. _I've never wanted the physical aspect of Manticore training more_, I thought desperately to myself as I listened to the murderous ordinaries shouting behind me. Slowly but surely, they were catching up.

"Hey!" I screamed, running headfirst into the gates of Terminal City. "Let me in! Please!" A lizard-like man ran up, a cigar hanging from his mouth.

"And you are?" he demanded, his beady black eyes flickering over my figure.

"X5-485," I gasped. "You have to let me in, they're gaining on me," He looked over my shoulder and swore, immediately hauling the gate open. I collapsed inside, watching him slam the gate closed again. I breathed heavily in relief, trying to catch my breath. "Thank you," I managed through my burning throat, the harsh, clenched feeling easing slightly in my chest.

"Stay there," he snapped, and then turned away. I watched in rapt fascination as his scaly body moved. _Anomalie. Desert Warfare prototype. Rare ability to speak English... what the hell was Lydecker thinking when he made these things?_

"What do we have here?" a woman's voice asked, and out of the shadows stepped a tall woman with dark brown eyes and near black hair. Her leather jacket marked her to be tough, her stance showed that she was a leader.

"X5- 485," I repeated my designation. "I was being followed by human rioters, ma'am," I decided that respect was the best policy in this hostile situation. A smile touched her lips.

"You got a name?" she asked kindly, a sparkle in her eyes. I shook my head.

"No, ma'am. Just the designation, ma'am."

"Alright then. I think we should name you... Jeans," I looked down to see the denim material that I was wearing. I looked up at her and smiled gratefully.

"Thank you ma'am," I smiled genuinely. She grinned back.

"Everyone deserves a name, Jeans. And call me Max."


	2. Chapter 2

**_AN: Ok, so I had a few reviews, which is enough for me :) so here is chapter two! Please, let me know if there's anything you think I need to work on, anything you liked! Read, Enjoy, and if you're feeling kind, Review! Cheers!_**

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Once I realized that Max wasn't about to hurt me, I found my home there in Terminal City. Max took me in, showed me the ropes of this strange and wonderful place. Soon, my quiet and naturally docile and shy disposition made me the talk of the town. Most transgenics had a strong need for attention, but not me. Where so many loved to wear vibrant colors and flashy leathers, I loved worn, soft jeans and old, flannel shirts. All the women loved to wear makeup, clothing and hairstyles to make them stand out and attract the men but I liked subtle makeup, choosing to wear my wild burgundy hair in a simple, high ponytail.

After a while, all the males seemed to realize that I wasn't interested romantically in them, and the hype around me died down. I became just another working class transgenic, another person in the crowd.

My life as one of the _regular_ mutants was short lived when Max noted my instincts for statistics and computing. She immediately put me to work in the Terminal City office, and soon, I was her left hand accomplice, beneath only her and the legendary Alec McDowell. The office became my place of work, where I could put all of my abilities to good use. One week, when Max had to leave town is where this story truly begins.

"Hey! Jeans, Alec!" Max shouted as she walked into the office. I looked up from the numbers I had been accounting and smiled sympathetically up at her. She glanced around, annoyance clear on her face.

"He hasn't been in yet," I answered her unspoken question quietly. She fumed for a moment, and then marched back out the door, shouting at the top of her lungs.

"Dammit! Alec! Get your lazy ass in the office! I should fire you, you idiot!" Mole poked his head in the door, cigar-as always-dangling from between his teeth.

"Princess not in yet?" he asked knowingly, a smirk on his features as he called Alec by his own little nickname. I shared a secret smile with him.

"Alec will be in soon, I'm sure," I replied, my eyes warming at the sight of one of my dearest friends. Mole had been the first transgenic here in Terminal City for me to meet, he had been the guard that let me in. I had, at first, been afraid of him, but now I saw him for what he was. A hard shell with a soft heart. For all his rude and gruff behaviour, Mole was just a sweetie.

"I'm coming!" Alec's voice could be heard throughout all of Terminal City, I was sure. I sighed, filing away another document. Late coming to work from yet another hangover and girl, I was certain. He strode in a moment later, a silly grin on his face. Mole muttered something incomprehensible and then walked away to do other things. Alec turned to me, his green eyes sparkling.

"Hello, Alec," I murmured, barely glancing at him. He leaned down against my desk, his elbows sitting on top of my files. I rolled my eyes and looked at him as he was demanding my full attention.

"And how is my favourite Jeanie?" he asked teasingly, his head cocked to the side. I arched an eyebrow.

"I'm the only _Jeanie_ you know," I retorted, flicking his elbow. "Now, if you _don't_ mind, I'm trying to work." He pouted mockingly and straightened up. Max stormed in, her expression beyond aggravated.

"At least _someone_ is working!" she snapped at him, and he sighed mockingly.

"Maxie, I swear! You and Jeanie have to live a little!" I cringed internally, knowing that my non-partying ways were near blasphemy in Alec's eyes.

"I am living, Alec! I'm going to _live_ for a whole damn week while I'm away! Until then, I want your ass in line!" I saw Max's eyes flash, and knew she was _pissed._

"Ok, Maxie, calm down," Alec soothed, worry evident in his eyes. He knew he was making her mad now. Max closed her eyes for a minute and took a deep breath. When she opened them, she looked slightly pained. I reached into my drawer and pulled out a bottle of aspirin.

"Here," I called quietly, tossing it to her. She downed the whole bottle in one gulp, rubbing her temple.

"You give me the worst migraines," she growled to him, but I could see that the storm had passed.

"I'll, uh, just get to work then, shall I?" Alec stuttered, sitting down at his desk. I smothered a small smile and continued my filing, watching silently as Max settled down to work too.

We worked somewhat diligently (or at least I did) and finally, Max sighed and stood up.

"That's probably good for today, guys," she decided, and I glanced up.

"Thank you!" Alec exclaimed, jumping up and stretching like a cat. I made myself not watch as his muscles flexed. As much as I wasn't that interested in men, I would be lying if I said that I didn't find Alec attractive. He had hit on me, of course, as Alec hit on every girl, but I declined him every time. Not only was Alec trouble personified, but he was also a colleague. That was one line I was _not_ about to cross.

"I think I'll stay a little while longer-"

"Oh, come _on_ Jeanie! Come down to Crash! It's a party tonight!" Alec grinned. Max snorted.

"There's no party at Crash tonight," she reprimanded him. He grinned even wider.

"There's a party every night at Crash," he retorted, and then looked to me. "Whataya say?" he asked with a wink, "It'll be _fu-un_," he sang the word. I shook my head and stood up, closing the file I had been working on.

"No thanks, Alec. I'm actually pretty tired. If I'm not staying here, then I'm going to head home," he looked horrified at the thought.

"But it's only seven!" he exclaimed as though it were a scandal. I smiled slightly.

"Good night, Alec," I turned to Max. "Have a good time in New York with Logan," she gave me a huge hug.

"I will. Keep Alec in order," she replied, her expression only half kidding. I grinned and nodded, mock-saluting her. I then left, smiling to myself as I imagined the soothing bath I would have as soon as I got home.

Settling into the bath with a glass of wine and a sigh, I smiled softly to myself, basking in the soothing heat. After a while, my eyes closed and I breathed deeply. My senses dropped away, and I floated away into a relaxing, calming sleep.

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_**AN: YAY! Alec makes an appearance! Love him...**_


	3. Chapter 3

**_AN: Ok, so, I apologize for having waited so long to update! Truth be told, I forgot about this story until Trickster707 reviewed and basically reminded me of it. Hopefully publishing will better an otherwise crappy day! Please enjoy, and tell me what you think. This is where things start to get interesting..._**

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_Hmm_, I thought as I drifted awake, _I haven't felt this good in a while_. I let out a small purr, opening my eyes. My feline pupils contracted against the harsh light of the bathroom lightbulbs. I stretched my stiff muscles, a strange sensitivity stretching over my skin. I felt..._feline_. Like all of my cat instincts were shot into overdrive. Fluidly, I rose from the bathtub, stepping gracefully out. I pulled on my bathrobe and slunk to the mirror. It was clouded over with steam. With one swift swipe of my hand, I wiped away a stripe of the fog, revealing my reflection.

My hair had frizzed slightly from the gratuitous steam from the bath, making it wild and curly around my face. My face was flushed, my eyes bright. My pupils had gotten used to the bright lights and were dilating again. I watched as my pink lips curled into a sly smile. I suddenly wanted _out_ of this room... but not yet.

I nearly pranced to the phone, glancing at the time. It was already eleven in the morning. I had slept all through the night. I pulled my lower lip deviously into my mouth and dialled the number for the head office. Immediately, a deep, resonating voice answered.

"Terminal City HQ, what do you want?" My entire body tensed at the sound of his voice, and I forced down a purr.

"Alec?" I hummed into the receiver.

"Jean? Where the hell are you? You've never missed a day of work! I was just going to send Mole down to make sure you're alive!" he sounded angry... masculine. Faint warning bells went off in the back of my head. Since when was Alec being pissed something to admire?

"I'm fine," I promised, my voice unintentionally deeper than normal. "I won't be in today... not feeling well," I murmured.

"You sure? I can send Mole or Joshua down there to check on you if you want," I shifted on my feet, loving the warm feeling that enveloped me as he showed concern.

"I'll be fine, Alec," I did purr now, "Just tired is all."

"Alright... get well soon, alright? I can't run this place by myself," he smirked into the phone, the teasing lilt to his voice making me go weak at the knees.

"Thanks," I breathed, and then hung up. A low, throaty laugh escaped my throat. _Tonight_. Tonight, I would have fun. Tonight, the tiger would be released from the cage.

First thing was first. I needed to get myself ready. I smirked to myself as I stripped out of my bath robe, slipping into the shower. One scalding shower later, I stepped out and dried myself on a towel. My usually fair skin was flushed and red, heated. I took an hour to towel my hair dry, leaving it tousled and lush. It framed my face perfectly, wild and untamed.

Once my hair was dried, I danced over to my closet, pawing through my clothing. _Ugh_, I groaned to myself, tossing my entire wardrobe aside piece by piece.

"Nothing!" I snarled, my hand slamming into the closet door. It snapped off the hinges with a loud crack, leaving me staring down at a broken piece of wood. I shrugged, and then an idea hit me. I grinned once more, a lethal, predatory grin. I prowled over to the phone once more and dialled the familiar number.

"Hello?" my friend Gem's groggy voice answered.

"Hey, Gem," I purred into the phone, "can I ask you a favor?"

"Who is this?" she asked, waking up. I growled slightly in annoyance.

"Jean," I replied shortly.

"Jean? Are you okay there, sweetie? You sound different." Annoyance ripped through me.

"I'm fine," I snapped, and then closed my eyes to compose myself. "I need to borrow some clothes."

"Sure... obviously with the little one in the making, I'm not fitting much of my stuff right now. I won't miss any of it," I grinned. _Perfect!_

"I'm going to swing by later and pick some stuff up, is that alright?" I intended to get that clothing if I had to rip it from her fingers.

"Sounds good to me, you can let yourself in. I'm beat," I forced back a sultry laugh. Everything was falling into place. I answered that I would, and then hung up. Everything was falling into place.

I spent the rest of the afternoon pampering myself. Manicures, pedicures, exfoliating facial and body scrubs. Soon, it was evening. I slunk out of my apartment, stealthily creeping into Gem's apartment. Her pregnant figure was sprawled out on her bed, and she didn't even notice me entering. I crept to her closet, opening it to find leather and color abounding. A sly smirk crept over my features as I reached in and found a short, tight fitting crimson red halter top. I also snatched a pair of ripped jean short-shorts. With one last sweep of the closet, I grabbed some black stilettos and raced from the room, like a cat burglar in the night.

I sprinted back to my apartment, changing into the halter and shorts. They were short enough to be overly showy, but not completely slutty. The shirt plunged just enough, the hem ending just below my belly button, showing off a fair amount of midriff. Slipping into the stilettos, I strutted to the bathroom mirror, applying smoky eye makeup and dark red lipstick. Finally, running my hands through my unruly hair once more, I was ready. Winking once to myself, I decided that the bar Crash would be my destination. I had heard so much about it, and it sounded just about perfect right then.

I pulled off my shoes once more, and without any warning to any transgenics in the area, I slipped out of Terminal City, running as fast as I could to the bar that had become legend in my mind.

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**_AN: Generally, I think it's cheesy when people say this, but oh well. DUN DUN DUNNNN! haha, oh yes, I'm that cool! So... What's going to happen? I wonder if anyone knows what's happening? Well, please review, because reviews make me exceptionally happy, and i hope you enjoyed the update!_**

**_Cheers!_**

**_Cori_**


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Hello again! So, here is chapter four! I hope that you all enjoy it. Thanks to everyone that reads and reviews! You guys really make my day! Did anyone watch the Supernatural premiere of season six? If you did, what did you think? I didn't like it... I found it extremely anti-climatic. Oh well. You win some, you lose some. Anywhoozle, here you go!

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When I arrived at Crash, my hair was freshly windblown, the cool air that brushed over my bare skin was soothing and electrifying, but now I wanted something different. I wanted heat, I wanted booze.

I swung my hips as I entered Crash, the lights and crowd were nearly overwhelming, along with the smell of sweat. There was beer everywhere, on the ground, on the walls, on the tables. There were people dancing up a storm, laughing, talking, yelling. It was enough to make my head spin. I loved it. The smell was intoxicating, leaving me breathless and wanting more.

I strode in, a cool smirk twisting my mouth up. I prowled through the crowd, brushing past all the bodies, my eyes twinkling at every man within the joint that looked at me. Their looks at me was like feather light touches, like I could feel their eyes. I could sense their hungry stares, I could taste their interest. No one seemed to be able to build up the courage to approach me, and when I finally was fed up with their timidity and wanted to initiate an encounter myself, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see a tall, gangly man standing there, his hair mussed and his expression hopeful.

"Hey, haven't seen you 'round here before," he grinned. A seductive smile twisted up the corners of my blood red lips.

"Never been here before," I replied, stepping closer to him as someone brushed past me. He was staring down at me in rapt fascination. Normally, I knew I would squirm under his stare, but now I thrived under it. I pursed my lips up at him, waiting.

"D-d'you want a drink?" he asked, his voice hoarse, as if from disuse. I beamed alluringly up at him, nodding slightly.

"I'd love a whiskey," I replied, my freshly manicured nails now tracing the thin muscle on his arm. The glinting dark red nail polish contrasted starkly against his pasty skin. He swallowed and caught my hand in his own. I giggled.

"I'm Sketchy," he introduced himself, lifting it and pressing a kiss to my knuckles.

"Jeanie," I replied with my own name, batting my eyes. He grinned widely.

"Let's get you that whiskey," he then led me to the bar, through the pulsing crowds. I closed my eyes and let the feeling wash over me, the pounding bass line reverberated through my being, the bodies that danced so close to me and then moved away. It was like teasing... they were teasing me. "There you go!" he shouted over the music, passing my drink to me. I took a huge swig, loving the way the liquid fire burned down my throat. "Do you want to meet my friends?" I nodded emphatically, my tousled hair bouncing around me. He smirked and pulled me further into the bar, towards a table full of people. When we stopped, I pressed myself against him, relishing the feeling. His arm wrapped around my waist, holding me close to him.

"Yo, boy how much did yo pay that boo to do that?" a short, black woman demanded, her afro bobbing up and down. I smiled beatifically at her, and she whistled. "Damn, girl! Why aren'tchoo playin' for the other team?" I traced Sketchy's frail bicep with the tip of my finger. I didn't answer.

"Babe, this is Original Cindy," Sketchy introduced us. I held out a hand, and she shook it, my nails glistening under the flashing lights. "That's Herbal," he gestured to another black man. He smiled happily, giving me a nod, "That's Normal," I raised an eyebrow at the middle aged man who seemed to be having difficulty not staring and drooling at me, but still said nothing, "And then this is Alec." I turned to see the next friend, and nearly purred with excitement. It was none other than Alec McDowell.

"Your pretty friend got a name, there, Sketch?" he asked, looking at me like I sometimes saw him look at other girls. Like I was a lean piece of meat. I used to nearly gag at the look he would give other girls, but I felt a thrill run through me as he stared at me. I still held Sketchy's hand, but stepped closer to Alec.

"That hurts, Alec," I whispered slowly, my lips brushing his ear softly, "I would hope you'd recognize me." I returned to Sketchy's side, running my hands through his scraggly hair. He swallowed hard.

"J-Jeanie," Sketchy stuttered my name to his friends, making me laugh quietly. "Her name's Jeanie." The fierce need to kiss him was nearly overpowering now, but I managed to stop myself.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Jeanie," Alec grinned, "Hey, Sketch... wanna shoot some pool?" Alec offered, standing up and grinning widely. Sketchy glanced down at me. I placed my mouth next to his cheek.

"Show off your skill, baby," I breathed, biting my lip. He nodded excitedly.

"Hell, yeah, Alec. Rack 'em," Sketchy's voice cracked as he spoke, and I stifled a giggle. Alec winked at me when Sketchy wasn't looking, but instead of blushing and staring at the ground like I would have before, I blew a kiss his way, winking back. He smiled cockily, and then started setting up the pool game.

Alec blew Sketchy out of the water. It was brutal on Sketchy, but I found myself barely watching the ordinary. No, my eyes were glued to Alec's figure, his lean muscles bunching under his shirt when he posed for the strike, fast as a cobra when he lashed out with the pool cue. He was deadly in this game, his sharp green eyes never wavering from the game when he was up. When he missed a shot, I knew it was because he wanted to let Sketchy get a shot in. As Sketchy attempted pitifully to redeem himself, Alec smirked up at me, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Finally, the game ended. Sketchy, obviously the loser, had to buy everyone another drink. I downed the rest of my whiskey and asked for another one, kissing him on the cheek as he walked by.

"I thought you were fabulous," I whispered, making his face light up. I smiled coyly up at him, watching him retreat as he left to get the round of drinks.

When Sketchy returned with the drinks, Alec rose his glass in the air. "To Sketchy... actually able to get a hot girl," everyone at the table rose their glasses, including me. I took a long swig from my whiskey, and over the glass's rim, my eyes connected with Alec's. Olive met Emerald, and he choked on his drink.

"Yo, ma boy, you aiight?" Original Cindy demanded as Herbal clapped him on the back a few times. Alec was completely ignoring them, instead was focused solely on me. I loved it.

"I'm good," he croaked. "Hey, uh, Sketch, man, your date's drink's gone," I glanced down to see that he was right. I had drunk all the whiskey.

"Damn, you drink fast!" Sketchy exclaimed, "I'll be right back, Jeanie," he grinned invitingly at me. I pulled him close, nuzzling his cheek.

"Don't be long," I breathed, and he sprinted away into the mass of people. As soon as he was out of sight, Alec was standing beside me, his expression furious.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here, Jeans?" he snarled, his eyes flashing. I smiled alluringly, stepping closer.

"Jealous, Alec? I'd be willing to ditch the ordinary for you," I murmured just loud enough for him to hear, toying with the collar of his leather jacket.

"Alec? Yo stealin' Sketchy's boo?" Original Cindy demanded. Alec grabbed my wrist and yanked it away from his collar.

"No, dammit! Cindy, this is Jeans. The girl that works at the office!" Original Cindy looked at me like I was some sort of alien.

"That's not right... can't be. That girl's sapposed to be straight shootin'!" I struggled in Alec's grip. As much as it restricted me, however, I loved that he was touching me.

"I thought so too," Alec snapped, his furious gaze never wavering from my face. "How stupid are you to come here now?" he hissed, his face inches from my own. I stared back, confusion clouding in on the haze that surrounded my brain.

"What do you mean?" I asked, but he didn't answer. Instead, he tugged my arm and started dragging me through the crowds. I tripped on my stilettos a few times, but he didn't stop.

"Hey! Alec, wait!" Sketchy shouted after us. Alec whipped around once he reached the door to outside.

"Sketchy, you know what I am, and what Max is, right?" he demanded up front. Sketchy looked taken aback. He glanced worriedly at me.

"Yeah, I know what you are," he replied carefully. Alec bared his teeth.

"Well, Jeans here is one of us too. Ever heard of cats in heat? Yeah, well she's in heat. She could seriously hurt you!" It hit me like a ton of bricks. Heat? I tore away from Alec suddenly, confused as to what was happening. He glowered down at me, his lip curled up in fury. With an almighty shove, he pushed me out the doors of crash, into the pouring rain. It had obviously started storming while I was in Crash.

The moment the water touched my skin, I was snapped out of it. My eyes widened in horror as I stared at Sketchy.

"D-did I just do that?" I whispered. Alec nodded, glaring at me as though waiting for me to attack. Sketchy was watching me as though I was some sort of freak. I'm a freak. Rejection washed through me, my oversensitive skin stinging in the icy sheets of rain. "I am so sorry," I choked out, and then turned and sprinted away into the night.

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**_AN: Aw, poor Jeans! Girls just wanna have fun... apparently that applies to genetically empowered girls too! Please review! Tell me if you loved it, hated it, thought it was "meh". Tell me!_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**AN: Hey everyone! Sorry, it's been a while since I updated last. You know that feeling when you're not doing anything, yet you have no time to do anything? Yeah, that's my life right about now :S Oh well. School is back in the works, joy to the world *rolls eyes*. Raise your hand if you ignore the teachers and write fanfiction during class! *raises hand* **_

_**Enjoy the chapter!**_

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Alec shouted after me, but didn't give chase. I knew he didn't, I could practically _feel_ him standing stock still in the rain still. I fell as I turned a sharp corner, my heels breaking under the pressure.

My knees and the heels of my hands scraped agonizingly against the rough ground, drawing blood. I felt confused and angry tears slipping down my cheeks. _Heat? I was in heat? _I had never been in heat before. I'd observed the other females go through the strange cycles, but for some reason, my genetic makeup didn't allow for me to go through heat cycles. Until now.

Finally, I made it through the rain back to my apartment. I raced inside, slamming the door shut behind me and collapsing against it. I tore the halter and shorts off, tugging a bath robe around my shaking figure. My skin was oversensitive, chafing against the worn material. I curled up in a ball, sobbing my eyes out. It was like I'd had no common sense, no ideal of right and wrong. I _lived_ for my reasoning, my right mind... now I was losing that too?

I don't know how long I stayed like that, curled up and rocking back and forth on my heels, when a harsh pounding came on the door. I squeaked in alarm, hurriedly locking the chain on my door.

"W-who's there?" I cried fearfully, not wanting to see anyone in this messed up state.

"Alec," his rough voice cut into me, and set off another round of tears.

"G-go away," I cried weakly, my lip trembling.

"Jeans, open the door," he sighed.

"N-no," I replied, biting my lip. He knocked again, gentler this time.

"Please open the door," he asked quietly. I shakily stood up, I knew my face was red and puffy, knew that I was still sweating and abnormally warm. Slowly, I unlocked the door and opened it, scuttling backwards to get as far away from him as I could. Cautiously, he walked inside, his eyes immediately seeking me out. They landed on my trembling, terrified figure, and his expression softened slightly.

"What do you want?" I mumbled, staring up at him, sitting down on my couch. He stepped warily forward, kneeling down next to me. His usually laughing, mischievous olive eyes were clouded over in worry.

"Are you alright?" he demanded quietly, his expression searching. I stared back at him, lower lip trembling even harder as I tried to hold back tears. "Hey," he soothed, touching my knee, "Jeans, it's not that big a deal... every transgenic female goes through it," he assured me. I let out a spluttering laugh.

"I don't!" I exclaimed almost inaudibly. If Alec hadn't had transgenic superhearing, he wouldn't have caught it.

"What?" he confusedly asked.

"I... I don't have heat cycles," I repeated myself. "Never have. Something in my genetic makeup... this..." I choked off with a strangled cry. "I don't know what's happening to me!" Then he had his arms around me, stroking my back, and I cried into him, terrified for what was going on.

"Shh, it's okay," Alec murmured, pressing me tightly against him. I cried for a few minutes, but after that time, I started to calm down, and I realized how close I was to him. And how much I wanted to _kiss_ the hell out of him. My gaze shot up, catching his. I felt my pupils dilate and my body temperature spike. Alec's eyes widened when I let out a small, predatory growl, and he shoved me away. "Jeans!" he snapped, jerking me out of my stupor. My mouth opened in silent horror, and I curled up. I just _couldn't control myself!_

"I am so sorry," I managed through my tight throat, breathing raggedly. "Maybe you should go."

"It's not your fault, don't be sorry. What do you mean it doesn't happen to you?"

"It's never happened before... this isn't supposed to happen to me," I replied honestly. His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"But... how old are you?"

"Twenty-two... same as you," I replied quickly. He counted in his head.

"But you were supposed to start your heat cycles at thirteen. All the other females did," he rationalized out loud. I nodded, biting my lip.

"I think maybe you should go... I need to cool down, and your being here isn't exactly helping," his eyes snapped up to meet mine, and I looked away, ashamed.

"I'll go, but listen to me, Jeanie," he smiled kindly, "It's not your fault. This is some stupid science experiment that Manticore put us through. Not your fault." With that, he left. I stared at the door for what could have been hours after he left. I could still_ smell_ his scent. Practically could taste it on my tongue. As I thought about it, my skin began to heat up again. In a split second of rationality, I raced to the bathroom and cranked the shower to a frigid temperature. Stepping under the icy spray, I shivered. _I am so screwed_.

* * *

**_AN: What do you think? What's going on with Jeanie? Why is she suddenly going through heat? Obviously, I know, but you don't! Alec is so awesome. Please review if you liked it, hated it, thought it was "meh". I thrive off of responses of any kind! Be kind and rewind...I mean review!_**


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